Writing Workbooks & Handbooks

Versatility of Comb- or Wire-Bound Handbooks

Short workbook and handbooks include topics like class exercise and notes, how-to short handbooks and guidelines. Yes, they're all nonfiction books and they all help and guide your readers!

Have you written a book, any articles, workshop or class scripts or other factual, information and guidance pieces? That's either print, e-book, blog posts, handouts and worksheets for those classes.

You've already written the basics, BUT your mind has a lot more details to share!

YOU CAN BUILD ON, FURTHER DEVELOP & EXPLAIN

             with the workbook and handbooks.

I've written several, including:

• News Releases X 4 Handbook: 4 different kinds of news releases to boost your visibility and sales
        This was based on my experience and workshops I gave on the topic.
• Guidelines for Writing Your Nonfiction Book (currently being updated)
         Based on the many workshops I've given on the topic.

• Examples of Front and Back Matter (in your books)
         Based on creating that material for 8 of my own books.

• Publisher's Press Kit? Instructions & Worksheets  (currently being updated)
• Writing Your Family History (currently being updated)

Since I have a plastic comb binder in my office, I print and bind these in-house. But you can print them at home or take your computer file to a local print shop and ask them to bind them.

OR you can offer them on your blog or website as pdf. files!

These books are filled with practical, use-now information and can either be sold or used as free incentives to encourage people to sign up for a workshop, coaching, or other services you may offer.

Naturally, you can also use them as workbooks for your classes.

Practical, versatile and actually easy to write after you've had experience on the topic.

Enjoy!

What does a "book" look like?

What's your mental picture of "a book"?

Soft cover 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"
Your Pocket Divorce Guide

First, most people think of a paperback (a.k.a. soft cover), then of a hard bound, textbook-like object. The minimum depth would be 1/2" with a seriously professional cover design.

I don't have a graphic of bits & bytes, but mentally we'd include audio books.

Nothing else qualifies!

You may think (!) that if you plan to write "a book," you need to create one of those.

But wait!

Comb-Bound Handbook
Add Pizzazz to Your Books

What about the 8 ½" x 11" HANDBOOKS and WORKBOOKS? Plastic comb-bound or wire bound, they're handy, useful and certainly don't need to be 1/2" thick. 

And SHORT BOOKS? Are you familiar with the 8 ½" x 5 ½" half-size short book that's "saddle stitched"? They're still called that, because in the olden days, the pages were literally stitched together at the center fold of an 8 ½" x 11" size sheet of paper. 

48 pg. Short Book
10 Effective Ways
to Promotes Your Seminar

This short book started life as a tri-fold brochure but then kept growing! I'll be writing more about it in the blog-future.

For this one, published in 1998, I was both author and cover designer. (I never made that mistake again!) But it was packed with 48 pages of useful information.

So you see, even in print versions, there's variety in style and production of our books. At least one of your local print shops can print and bind the handbooks in either plastic comb or wire binding, as well as the half-size short bookswhich are not stapled in the center instead of "stitched."

Many of us have valuable information to share, but we know instinctively that the standard hard- or soft-binding are quite the right form for sharing it. These options give us lots of room for useful layout and creativity!

Enjoy ~